The Last Shard
by Aramira
Summary: The last shard is out there, and in Sango's brother, when Sesshoumaru proposes a trade the group is faced with a dilemma.
1. Chapter 1

It was evening and they were relaxing in a hot spring

Things were supposed to be good.

Naraku was dead and all of their party had survived the battle. His incarnations had been released and some had died, the others had disappeared. Kikyo had been returned to the grave, by her own hand, in an act of mercy and not vengeance. Most of the shards had been gathered, Kouga giving his up willingly in an act of love for his new wife Ayami.

Things were supposed to be good.

Her friends had finally admitted their love for one another and were ridiculously happy. She herself had finally admitted her feelings to the one she loved and he had changed his ways for her. Miroku's cursed hand was cured; the wind tunnel had disappeared.

Things were supposed to be good.

The void left by Naraku's departure had been filled by other demons, but their group had managed to exterminate enough that people weren't living in fear. InuYasha and Sesshoumaru had come to an uneasy alliance and no longer tried to kill each other on sight.

Things were supposed to be good. But they weren't. Not for Sango. For Sango, despite being united in love with Miroku, life was not good. There was only one jewel shard yet to be collected. The others were sensitive to what was going on, but they didn't really know what to do or say. The remaining shard was in her brother Kohaku. Kohaku was no longer under Naraku's power but the only thing keeping him alive was the shard in his neck.

Sango had not seen Kohaku for at least three moons and she was not sure if his memories had returned yet. Part of her hoped that they never would. Kohaku had slaughtered their entire village while under Naraku's control. He had almost managed to kill her as well. Sango wanted her brother to remember her but at the same time, if he remembered her he would have to remember what he did to his family. Sango didn't want him to have to bear the pain and guilt of something that wasn't his fault.

"Kohaku, where are you?" she whispered into the evening wind. She didn't expect a reply. Her sigh was lost on the wind as well as she turned to return to the hut she shared with her husband. Suddenly the fire cat at her feet growled and transformed and Sango whirled to see what Kirara was sensing. What came out of the woods was indeed a demon, though not a very formidable one.

"Jakken?" Sango asked. The little green toad demon was Sesshoumaru's lackey, not usually far from his master and Sango kept her eyes open for Sesshoumaru himself. "What do you want?"

"I've come with a message from Lord Sesshoumaru for his brother." The demon answered in his nasally voice.

Kirara was still growling and Sango had to agree, this demon couldn't be trusted. "InuYasha's not here."

"Where is he?"

"Demanding little thing isn't he?" Miroku joined the conversation. He had sensed Kirara's transformation and had brought Sango's weapon with him when he came to investigate, though it appeared she wouldn't be needing it. Sango nodded her assent and Jakken started to hop from one foot to the other.

"Where is InuYasha?! I am on a mission from Lord Sesshoumaru and he won't take your stalling lightly." Jakken was freaking out, it had taken him longer than planned to reach the village without Ah-Un to carry him and he was afraid his Lord would be angry.

"We don't know. He left with Kagome a few days ago." Sango told him, not fazed at all by the threat. InuYasha and Kagome had gone back to her time for a visit and that meant she really didn't know where her friends were, or when they would return. "I suppose you could come back in a few days and they might be back."

"A few days! I can't wait that long."

"Well you'll have to since InuYasha's not here now." Miroku told him. "And you can't wait here, you'll scare the children." Miroku was referring to the children in the village.

"Where is InuYasha's house?"

"You're a demon, sniff it out." Miroku said disdainfully. He took Sango's hand and led her back to their house. Their backs were to Jakken but they didn't fear an attack, Kirara was there and their own instincts were honed to where they would feel an attack coming in plenty of time to counter.

The toad demon was left hopping about, he wanted to blast the two humans to smithereens but he knew that their power was greater than his and he didn't really want to die. Finally he tried to take Miroku's advice and sniff their house out. However he was a toad demon and they weren't known for their sniffing capabilities. After an hour or so of sniffing about he was no closer to finding InuYasha's house than he was before. He had run into a couple of villagers as he'd been walking and they kept their distance. Finally it clicked in his head that he should ask one of them where the half-demon's house was.

The next villager he saw was an elderly woman in red and white with a patch over one eye. He was pleased to see that she didn't run when she saw him and he called her over. "You! Human. Where is InuYasha's house?"

The woman came over without hesitation, "Why do ye want to know?"

"Just tell me woman!"

"I can't just tell ye where Lord InuYasha's house is without knowing who wants to know or why." Her calm was infuriating.

"I am on an important mission from Lord Sesshoumaru! Tell me now!" Jakken was yelling.

"Surely your Lord Sesshoumaru told you where his brother's house is?" the old woman asked him. Jakken was hopping again; his brilliant idea wasn't going exactly as he'd planned. He gave up on the old woman and stalked off in a direction he hadn't tried before.

Jakken had given up and was starting to think about what the afterlife would be like, since Sesshoumaru would surely kill him for failing to deliver his message, when he heard a familiar voice. InuYasha and Kagome were walking right by where he was hiding in the bushes. Jakken went to jump out at them but stopped when he found the pointy end of the Tetsusaiga in his face. "What are you doing here?" InuYasha snarled.

"I-uh-um. I have a message for you from Lord Sesshoumaru." Jakken managed to get out while staring cross-eyed at the massive sword in his face.

"Well deliver it and get lost."

Jakken drew himself up as far as he dared, "My Lord wishes to meet with you."

"Feh. I'm not meeting with _him_. Besides, if he wants to talk to me he knows where to find me." InuYasha slung the Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.

"Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't have time to run all over the country, he's far too busy." Jakken was indignant again.

"Whatever." InuYasha turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Jakken cried; even if InuYasha didn't want to meet with his Lord, Jakken wouldn't get in trouble for failing to deliver his message. "My Lord wishes to make a trade."

"What kind of trade?" Kagome asked, laying a hand on InuYasha's arm.

"My Lord desires the Tetsusaiga-"

"He's not getting my sword!" InuYasha yelled, "Besides, he can't use it anyway." Kagome rolled her eyes, as if anyone thought InuYasha would trade away his sword.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has something that you want though." Jakken continued.

"Feh, whatever." InuYasha sheathed the Tetsusaiga.

"What Jakken?" Kagome asked, wanting to be away from the creepy little demon as soon as possible.

"He has the last shard of the Sacred jewel."

"But, the last shard is in Kohaku!" Kagome said surprised.

"If that's the human's name then yes. Lord Sesshoumaru will trade the boy for the Tetsusaiga." Jakken was pleased at the shocked look on their faces.

"Where are they?" InuYasha's tone was dangerous.

"Lord Sesshoumaru wished that I take you to him. Now where is your house? We can leave in the morning." Jakken was suddenly eye to eye with InuYasha who had him by the collar.

"First of all there is no way I'd let you anywhere near my house. Secondly, we're leaving now." InuYasha dropped the toad demon and strode off after Kagome who was already on her way to Miroku and Sango's. InuYasha caught up with her and asked, "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

Kagome nodded, "I'm afraid so, it's not like Sesshoumaru to be deceptive." InuYasha had to agree, his brother wouldn't bother with deception, and he hadn't smelled untruth in Jakken. "Poor Sango." InuYasha nodded again as they reached their friends' hut.

Kagome knocked and Miroku opened the door. "Ah you guys are back! Did you know that- Oh, I see he found you." Miroku's smile faded somewhat when he saw Jakken running to catch up with the pair.

"We need to talk to you guys." Kagome said as Sango joined Miroku at the door. The pair moved to let their friends enter, Jakken close behind.

"In private." InuYasha growled as he punted Jakken out the door. The girls failed in trying to look disapproving.

"What's going on?" Sango asked.

"We should sit." Kagome said. The five of them (Shippo was staying with Kaede since both couples needed alone time) sat and InuYasha launched right into the heart of it.

"Sesshoumaru has Kohaku. He wants to trade him for the Tetsusaiga."

"Oh." Sango said. The group was silent, waiting for her to continue, "So what do we do?"

"We go see my good for nothing brother and get Kohaku back." InuYasha said. Kagome studied Sango; she was a little bit pale and had a far away look in her eyes.

"Where is he?" it was unclear which he she meant but since they were likely to find Sesshoumaru and her brother together it didn't really matter.

"We don't know. Jakken is supposed to take us to them." Kagome explained.

"When do we leave?" Miroku stood and started gathering food to take with them.

"Now." InuYasha said.

"After we visit the house." Kagome replied. "We'll need a few things too." InuYasha nodded and they stood as well. "We'll be back soon." Kagome and InuYasha opened the door to find Jakken sitting on the steps. They ordered him to stay and Kirara lent weight to the order by standing behind him and transforming. "We should hurry."

"Ok, get on." Kagome got onto InuYasha's back and he took off running. In a few minutes they were at their house and Kagome had her yellow bag packed in a few more minutes. Kagome wanted to change however; her sundress wasn't durable enough, or practical, for the road. InuYasha was, as usual, in his red kimono.

By the time they were back at Sango and Miroku's the couple were dressed for the road. They considered telling Shippo but decided against it, he would be safer at Kaede's. They set off walking since Kirara didn't want to carry Jakken. InuYasha was frustrated at the pace, but since the toad demon wouldn't say where they were going they were forced to follow at the pace Jakken set.

Sango was quiet as they walked, and the others gave her her space. Sango was preparing herself for what she believed was going to happen. She knew InuYasha would never give up his sword, even for Kohaku. But they were on a mission of rescue so it didn't seem to matter that Sesshoumaru was willing to deal. It all seemed pointless though to Sango, they needed the last shard to complete the jewel and rid the world of it, and to do that they needed the shard keeping her brother alive. So what did it matter if Sesshoumaru took the shard from Kohaku or if it was them? He was dead either way.

She had to admire her companions though; none of them had ever mentioned trying to track her brother down in order to retrieve the final shard, even InuYasha who was more eager than the rest of them to have it in one piece. It looked as though they may have the last shard with them in the next few days though and Sango was feeling sick about it. She wanted her brother back, but with the shard in him it might be too big of a temptation for InuYasha. Sango shook her head, no, InuYasha wasn't like that anymore, Kagome had changed him. But that didn't change the fact that sooner or later they would have to deal with the last shard.

"Just how far are we going?" InuYasha demanded after a couple of hours.

"We should get there in the afternoon the day after tomorrow." Jakken replied.

"Two days! You-" InuYasha was stopped by Kagome.

"It's getting dark, we should make camp, we can leave early in the morning." InuYasha grudgingly agreed and within a half hour they found a suitable place and started a cooking fire. No one was in a talking mood so shortly after dinner the group split into three and made their beds. InuYasha was too agitated to sleep so he kissed Kagome goodnight and leapt into a tree to keep an eye, ear and nose on things. Miroku lay behind Sango and held her close, offering the comfort of his nearness.

Kagome lay alone in her sleeping bag, wishing InuYasha was with her, but she understood the need to be alert, they were traveling into the western lands, lands which were wilder than the ones they were used to living in. Kagome hugged herself and sighed, knowing that what she was feeling was nothing compared to Sango's loneliness. Her family and village had been killed, she herself had barely survived. She was further tortured by having to see her brother's dead body animated and used against her and her friends. And now she would have him back, but for how long?

Sango's thoughts were echoing Kagome's. She was reliving every moment with her brother since the day Kohaku had killed their entire village. Normally she was able to forget, or at least not think specifically about it, but all day she'd been going over their brief moments of contact. Even the presence of her husband, cradling her in his arms, couldn't lessen her pain. But she hadn't cried. Strangely she hadn't cried at all since she had lost everyone she'd known and loved. First there was confusion, then anger at Naraku, then nothing…she had been able to feel joy and sadness, but she hadn't been able to cry and she wondered why. Kagome was able to cry, in fact she did it quite often, it seemed a healthy way to let her emotions out, but Sango couldn't bring her tears to the surface.

She could feel Miroku relax into sleep and she tried to turn her thoughts off to get some rest as well. She focused on each part of her body in turn, concentrating on relaxing until she was able to sleep as well. Dawn came quickly and the small group was soon back on the road. Jakken was again in the lead and the others followed. InuYasha kept wandering ahead and back, trying to scent his brother or danger. Kagome fingered the jar around her neck that held the almost completed Shikon jewel.


	2. Chapter 2

It was just past lunch when the demon attacked. InuYasha and Kirara sensed it first and their warning gave the others time to form up; or in the case of Jakken, run and hide. It was a gigantic three headed snake demon, three times the height of the group when reared up. It hissed as it came towards them and it sounded like "jewel shards". Kagome had an arrow knocked and ready to go as the snake headed towards her. InuYasha intercepted it and chopped one of its heads off. The snake then turned on him.

The snake's severed head stirred and started slithering towards Kagome who shrieked in surprise and disgust. Miroku slammed his staff onto the head and it stopped moving. Sango was ready with her Hiraikotsu but InuYasha was taking his irritation out on this demon and it was soon headless. However the heads were stirring. Kagome shot a sacred arrow into one of them and it exploded into tiny fragments that seemed to vaporize. As the others started to stir Kagome shot them as well, then the body for good measure.

The journey continued.

As they were making camp for the night another demon appeared. It was humanoid and appeared to be a bear demon. It demanded the jewel shards and tried to attack. Before InuYasha had a chance to use his sword it was suddenly cut in half by Sango's Hiraikotsu. The others looked at her and she just shrugged. They made camp and InuYasha once again headed into a tree to keep watch. Kagome missed his warmth beside her, a feeling that was rather new to her but one she had gotten used to almost immediately. She woke to InuYasha's shout of alarm.

Her companions were scrambling to their weapons and Kagome followed suit. It was night but there was light from the moon so they could see what they were up against. "There's hundreds of them!" Kagome cried.

"Kirara!" Sango leapt atop the demon cat and they flew into the air to fight from above. Miroku placed himself near Kagome and used his staff and charms to do battle. Kagome used her arrows to kill any demons trying to flank them. InuYasha took main offense and Jakken was no where to be seen.

"This is stupid." InuYasha was saying as he killed demons left and right. "Sesshoumaru's doing a pretty crappy job of taking care of things around here."

Jakken suddenly appeared beside Kagome and started yelling at InuYasha. "How dare you insult Lord Sesshoumaru! He does the best he can but thanks to Naraku's absence there are even more demons than usual around. Aaahhhh!" His diatribe ended suddenly as he was attacked and had to stop yelling to defend himself.

"Where do you think all these demons are coming from?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know. But I know what they're after." Kagome replied. As usual, she was the target of the demons since she was the keeper of the jewel shards. She looked to her friends in the thick of it. Sango and Kirara were a killing swath but they kept getting in InuYasha's way of using the windscar. They were keeping ahead of the demons though not by much. Sango knew she was in the way but she was afraid to stop fighting since there were so many demons.

"Sango! Look out!" Kagome called to her friend from the ground. Sango turned to see more demons coming up behind her. She threw her weapon and they disintegrated. Sango was losing herself in the fight and it felt good. It was a distraction from what was making her heart heavy; simply focusing on her body and the companions she fought with. Her senses became more attuned and she was aware of every nuance of the demon fire cat beneath her. Her mind saw the path her Hiraikotsu needed to take in order to do the most damage and her body carried out the action.

Sango tried to maneuver so that InuYasha could use his windscar but as she did so she was struck from behind and knocked off of Kirara. "Sango!" She heard Miroku call her name as she fell. Before Sango struck the ground Kirara was once again underneath her and her fall was broken enough that when she hit the ground she just had the wind knocked out of her. Miroku was kneeling at her side, lifting her up to him, "Are you ok?" Sango nodded and tried to speak. She couldn't catch her breath in time though so she pointed urgently behind Miroku.

Miroku turned to see Kagome get hit from behind by a long grey demon whose head seemed mostly made of teeth. Miroku called Kagome's name and the sound reached InuYasha's ears as the effects of his windscar faded. InuYasha had killed hundreds of the demon swarm, in fact most of them, but when his eyes took in the sight of Kagome being bit by the ugly demon, his shout of her name gave the demons pause where the death of their comrades hadn't.

Miroku helped Sango to her feet and they rushed to Kagome's side, Miroku having killed the thing with one of his charms. "Kagome?" Sango had her voice back and she spoke softly to her friend who was pouring blood from ugly wounds around her shoulder.

"Sango." Kagome's voice was weak. Miroku was standing guard over the two women, holding off the straggling demons with his staff. InuYasha was coming towards them, killing everything in his way, and was there in moments. "InuYasha." Kagome said when the hanyou took her in his arms. "It hurts."

"I know Kagome, don't worry, it'll be ok. I'll take care of you." InuYasha answered her, but Sango saw the helpless look in his eyes. Kagome's wounds were grievous; and they were a long way from help. Any demon stragglers had given up the fight and the group was alone again. Sango was using Kagome's bandages from her first aid kit to apply pressure to the bite marks but it was making little difference. Kagome's eyes fluttered closed as she lost consciousness.

Miroku laid a hand on InuYasha's arm as his friend started to panic. "Leave her be InuYasha, she needs to rest."

"We need to take her to Kaede." Sango told them, "We can't help her here, we have to go back."

"But Sesshoumaru-" Miroku started to say but he was cut off.

"Can wait. We need to focus on the living." Sango truly felt what she was saying and so she felt guilty for the moment where she thought to press on without the rest of them. Sango continued to apply pressure to the bite marks and finally the bleeding slowed. Sango experimented with different positions for Kagome to travel in and finally just bound her to InuYasha to keep pressure on her wounds.

Jakken had been quiet throughout the conversations and tried to sneak off when the companions were breaking camp. He was grabbed roughly by the collar and he looked up to see the monk had a hold of him. "Oh no you don't. You're coming with us so that when Kagome is better you can take us to Sesshoumaru." Jakken sighed and slumped in defeat, following behind the tired group.

InuYasha was holding Kagome as tightly as he dared, afraid to cause her more pain. _This can't be happening._ He was thinking to himself, after they all survived killing Naraku for Kagome to die in such a pointless battle seemed more than unfair, it seemed a betrayal of all that was good. Was it not bad enough he had never known his father? That his mother had died while he was still young? That Kikyo had died just when she had redeemed herself? How much more loss would he be forced to endure? And Kagome, she had given up so much of her life for him and the quest for the jewel shards, her reward couldn't be death, it just couldn't.

InuYasha stopped as his nose picked up another smell under the blood on Kagome. "Sango, Miroku. I smell poison." The others stopped for Sango to check Kagome's wounds. When the bandages came off there was little blood, but the skin surrounding the bite marks was turning green and purple.

"We have to hurry. InuYasha, maybe you should go ahead with Kagome." InuYasha nodded and once the girl was securely in place again he took off as fast as he dared while still trying to be gentle and not jar her too much. Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Jakken kept on and soon lost sight of the hanyou. Sango and Miroku were walking close together and talking, Kirara was keeping between the pair and Jakken so as to give them some privacy. "I hope InuYasha gets Kagome to Kaede soon. That poison seems to be acting pretty fast."

"Yes. But if anyone can its InuYasha." Miroku looked at his wife from the corner of his eye, then he took her hand. "I'm sorry we had to turn around."

Sango looked down, "Thank you. But we had to focus on Kagome."

"That doesn't mean it's not hard to walk away." Miroku squeezed her hand. Though they were tired, they were also too worried to sleep so the human pair, along with their demon companions walked straight through till the late morning, stopping only to eat. Shortly after they headed east again they were surprised by the red blur that passed them heading west.

"Was that InuYasha?" Jakken asked.

Kirara voiced her confirmation and then growled. Sango seemed to understand her so she translated. "It _was_ InuYasha, and he had Kagome with him. She- she wasn't breathing." The silence was complete, even nature was quiet. Miroku stared into Sango's face as he saw the loss register. Then to his complete surprise his hard as iron wife fainted.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sango!" Miroku managed to recover from his shock fast enough so that he could catch Sango before she hit the ground. Kirara nuzzled her mistress and in a few moments Sango opened her eyes.

"Miroku, what happened?"

"You fainted."

"Oh."

"Can you stand?"

"I think so." Miroku helped her to her feet and kept a hand on her hip to steady her. Sango looked towards the east, where InuYasha had taken Kagome. "We should follow him."

"I agree; if Kagome really is dead then he'll be out of control." Sango flinched at the word dead. "I imagine he's on the way to find Sesshoumaru and the Tensaiga." Miroku replied.

Jakken snorted, "As if Lord Sesshoumaru would use his sword on a puny human." Miroku and Sango climbed onto Kirara and sped off, leaving the now-unconscious toad demon behind them.

Miroku sat behind Sango and wondered what they would find when they caught up to InuYasha. If their friend _was_ dead then there were only two ways for her to be saved, with the Tensaiga or with the complete Shikon No Tama. Jakken was right when he spoke of Sesshoumaru not using the demon sword on humans, convincing him to do so would be near impossible. The other prospect was letting Kohaku die to complete the jewel, but without Kagome to purify it, would its power save her if InuYasha tried to use it?

Sango's thoughts were echoing Miroku's, though hers were tinged with shock. She had been preparing herself to deal with her brother's possible death, it had never occurred to her that they might lose someone else. Silently she urged Kirara to go faster. Time seemed to drag on but finally Kirara indicated she smelled InuYasha and the trio knew they were on the right path.

All of a sudden they found him. He was off the path and he was sitting in front of Kagome who was leaning up against a tree. He was just staring at his hands that were in his lap. Miroku and Sango walked slowly up to him but he didn't acknowledge them. This close Sango and Miroku could see that Kagome wasn't breathing. Sango and Miroku sat behind InuYasha, trying to offer some comfort that they didn't feel. Finally InuYasha stood and they could see that he had been crying, but now it was only anger that shone in his eyes. "You two stay here. Sesshoumaru is nearby, I'm going to get the Tensaiga."

Sango stood to face him, Miroku followed suit. "No."

"No?" InuYasha's voice was harsh and his tone threatening.

Sango wasn't intimidated, "No! You don't get to do this alone. Kagome was our friend too." InuYasha winced when Sango said 'was'. "You seem to forget that Sesshoumaru has something of mine as well. Kirara will stay with Kagome, Miroku and I will come with you."

"Fine, but don't get in the way." InuYasha turned and sped off. It was the closest thing to an apology they would get and the pair took off after the hanyou. They caught up a little while later in a clearing where InuYasha was facing his brother. Sesshoumaru as usual looked exactly the same, despite the snarling half demon in front of him who was holding the transformed Tetsusaiga and demanding his own demon sword.

Miroku and Sango held back, and Sango scanned the area for Kohaku but she couldn't see him. "Give me the Tensaiga Sesshoumaru." InuYasha was shouting to his brother.

"Give me the Tetsusaiga." Was the reply. It would have been funny if the circumstances had been different.

"As if! You can't even touch it."

"You can't use the Tensaiga. It only works for me." Sesshoumaru said and that gave InuYasha pause. He had never considered that the sword wouldn't work for him.

"You're lying!" Sesshoumaru's silence filled the space. InuYasha attacked. InuYasha's pain and fury fuelled his battle, while Sesshoumaru's calm aided his. More than once Miroku and Sango had to dodge the brothers' attacks. The insults flew as fast as the blows and still neither gained an advantage. At one point Sango and Miroku were forced back into the trees to take cover and they nearly tripped over Rin, who had an unusual companion with her.

"Kohaku!" Sango grabbed her brother in a fierce hug.

"Sango." Kohaku knew that Sango was his sister, and that she was nice, but he didn't remember her at all. His face had less of the vacant look it had when Naraku had control over him, but he was still the animated dead and the aura about him would be that way until he died.

"Lord Sesshoumaru says you're going to trade Kohaku for InuYasha's sword. I'm going to miss Kohaku, he's way better than Master Jakken to play with." Rin babbled on and the others let her. She seemed unconcerned about the battle going on nearby, but then, she had unflappable faith in Sesshoumaru.

Sango was unsure what to do. On the one hand she could take Kohaku while Sesshoumaru was occupied with InuYasha, but she didn't want to make things worse for them. If it was true that only Sesshoumaru could wield the Tensaiga, then they needed to try to convince him to use it on Kagome. She decided to wait and see what happened between the brothers. They stepped out of the trees.

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru were both bleeding from numerous but shallow cuts and the fight was just as intense as when it started. Sesshoumaru suddenly ended it when he spotted Kohaku and Rin with Miroku and Sango. "Did the demons do their job InuYasha? Is your priestess dead yet?"

Sango gasped and Miroku reached out a hand to steady her in case she fainted again.

"You? You bastard!" InuYasha screamed at his brother and went to attack again but Sesshoumaru stopped him by lifting the Tensaiga from its sheath.

"If you want me to save her you have to give me the Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru's calm had always unnerved those around him, but it only infuriated his half brother.

"You bastard. How could you do that to Kagome? What's she ever done to you?" InuYasha was still but every muscle in him wanted to tear his brother limb from limb…slowly, and by hand.

"Nothing, she was simply a means to an end."

Miroku was beginning to think he couldn't take any more surprises today when his wife stalked towards Sesshoumaru. "What about Kohaku? Is he a means to an end as well? You may be a great demon but you're a pitiful excuse for man!" Miroku and InuYasha's mouths were hanging open; even Rin and Kohaku were paying attention to the incensed youkai exterminator. "Only a weak little boy would use people that way. How would you like it if we took Rin and hurt her so you'd hand over the Tensaiga?"

Sesshoumaru just stared at the little human in front of him, wondering how she dared to speak to him like that. "You couldn't take Rin from me."

"That's it? That's all you have to say? You're pathetic." Sango spat the words at him and just managed to duck the blow he was aiming to land across her face. "We have Kohaku now." Sango said as she backed away from the advancing demon. "You have nothing left to trade. You can't use the Tetsusaiga but you can use the Tensaiga to save Kagome, which seems only fair since you killed her in the first place." Sango was still backing up, bringing Sesshoumaru closer to his brother. "Oh that's right, you couldn't even do _that_ yourself, you had to send a swarm of demons in to do it for you." Her anger had faded quickly and her bravado was now false, she was trembling inside but she looked as strong as ever.

Miroku was feeling light headed, usually only InuYasha could provoke Sesshoumaru into a fight but Sango seemed to be doing a pretty good job of pissing off the dog demon. He trusted her though and saw that she was leading him closer to InuYasha and hoped Sesshoumaru didn't notice in time. InuYasha was waiting for the right moment, hoping that he didn't judge wrong and get Sango killed as well.

InuYasha was focused on his brother, Sesshoumaru on Sango and Miroku on all three of them so none of them noticed Rin until she was right next to Sesshoumaru and tugging on his sleeve. "Lord Sesshoumaru? Did you kill Kagome?"

"Yes Rin." He replied, still looking at Sango though he had stopped advancing.

"Why?"

"Because Rin. It's a grown up matter, go back to the boy."

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru." Her voice fell but she obeyed. The girl's intervention broke the stillness and created an uneasy sort of momentary truce.

"So InuYasha." Sesshoumaru spoke. "If I bring back your priestess, will you give me the Tetsusaiga?"

"You can't use it." InuYasha didn't trust his brother; he was too willing to deal, besides, what was the point in having a sword you couldn't touch?

"If I had your arm I could."


	4. Chapter 4

The silence was thick, even Rin stood still, waiting to see what would happen next. InuYasha was loathe to give up his sword, especially to his half brother, but InuYasha's heart had stopped the moment he had felt Kagome take her last breath. If he could still walk around without a heart, he could do it with only one arm; he could do it for Kagome. He sheathed the Tetsusaiga. "Fine, but you bring her back first."

Sesshoumaru nodded and InuYasha ran in the direction they had left Kagome. "InuYasha." Sango breathed. Sango sidled back to where Miroku, Kohaku and Rin were standing. Miroku's expression was unfathomable but he was clearly deep in thought. Sesshoumaru had the slightest upturn of his mouth and Rin took it to be a smile so she ran up to him and hugged him around his waist.

In a few minutes InuYasha returned, carrying Kagome, Kirara was with him, in full demon form, she certainly didn't trust Sesshoumaru either. The others watched as InuYasha walked towards his brother with Kagome's still form. He laid her gently on the grass and stood back. "Rin, go hold InuYasha's sword for him." Sesshoumaru said. InuYasha felt the loss at his side when he handed the sword to the little girl. He kept her at his side with a hand on her shoulder.

Sango, Miroku and Kohaku stepped closer to see what was happening. Sesshoumaru drew the Tensaiga. As he did so the death beings present upon Kagome became visible to him. He swung the sword and the humans gasped as the girl was cut in two. The death beings vanished and the girl drew a breath. Her wounds could be seen healing through the torn cloth covering her. Sesshoumaru beckoned Rin to his side but he was careful not to touch the Tetsusaiga.

"Kagome." InuYasha knelt at her side and pulled her to him, her breathing was getting stronger and he could hear her heart beating, there was no trace of poison left in her. Sango also knelt by Kagome's side and took her hand, whispering her name. Slowly Kagome's eyes opened and she was able to focus on InuYasha's face.

"InuYasha?"

"It's ok Kagome, you're ok."

"What happened?"

"You died."

"I died?" Kagome was getting stronger by the moment, she felt tired, not hurt…or dead. "If I died why do I feel fine?" Then she spotted Sesshoumaru. "Did you-?" she asked him, he nodded. Kagome noted the triumphant look in his eyes and her heart went cold, something was going on. "Why?"

"It was a trade." InuYasha told her.

"A trade for what?"

"The Tetsusaiga."

Kagome gasped. "But-"

InuYasha stopped her with a quick kiss, "It was worth it."

"Let's get on with this." Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"With what?" Kagome asked, confused again.

"Sesshoumaru needs a human arm to wield the Tetsusaiga." Sango told her. Kagome looked at her friend in disbelief. "Or at least a part human one." Kagome whipped her head around to look at InuYasha again.

"No." she whispered, "How can you?" InuYasha touched her face with his knuckles then stood to go to Sesshoumaru but Miroku stepped in front of him to face Sesshoumaru himself.

"I have a proposal."

"I don't need anything else from you." Sesshoumaru told him.

Miroku went on as if he hadn't heard. "If we take the jewel shard out of Kohaku he will die, you can bring him back."

"And in exchange?"

"You can have my arm." Miroku said it matter of fact, like he was offering up his robes. It was Sango's turn to be shocked and she squeezed Kagome's hand.

"I don't need your arm." Sesshoumaru wanted InuYasha to suffer as he had with one arm, but on the other hand he didn't want that constant reminder of his half brother. "But I'll take it." He drew his sword but once again he found the little human woman in his way.

"Miroku no. We'll find another way." Sango was begging Miroku not to do it. InuYasha was half demon, he could survive having his arm cut off but it could very easily kill her very human husband.

"There is no other way Sango." He held her shoulder and firmly but gently moved her aside. He held his left arm out for Sesshoumaru.

"Rin, stand back." The girl moved back and Sesshoumaru drew his other sword. Miroku was preparing himself by falling into a meditative state. He saw Sesshoumaru raise his arm as if in slow motion, as the sword started to descend Miroku withdrew his left arm and offered his right. In a moment Miroku's arm was on the grass and he was kneeling, trying to stay conscious.

Kagome was at his side, tying a tourniquet and wrapping the open wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. Sango helped her and InuYasha stood ready if his brother decided to run without bringing Kohaku back.

Sesshoumaru was staring at the arm on the ground and seething. "Insolent fool." He spat at Miroku, "What am I going to do with another right arm?" The others were as shocked at Miroku's actions as Sesshoumaru was.

"You required an arm, now you have one." Miroku managed to speak through his pain.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! What's going on?" Jakken had recovered from the beating he'd taken from Miroku and Sango and had finally caught up.

"Lord Sesshoumaru traded this sword for an arm and two people." Rin explained, holding up the Tetsusaiga.

"The Tetsusaiga!" Jakken ignored the explanation which made little sense to him and he focused on the demon sword, then he snapped out of it. "An arm my Lord?"

"The monk gave me a right arm." Sesshoumaru was going to carve the insult from his brother's hide.

"That's easily fixed." Jakken said and hunkered down in front of the arm. He waved his hands about and chanted something that sounded a lot like random croaking but when he was done the hand was oriented to the left. Sesshoumaru picked the arm up and slid it up his empty left sleeve.

He growled as pain suffused his arm and body, but when it was over the arm was functioning as well as his own would have. He was about to take the Tetsusaiga from Rin when Kagome stood, "Kohaku now." He waited for the females to bring him the young boy. The demon slayer held the boy as the priestess removed the jewel shard. Sesshoumaru repeated the ritual and the boy was soon sitting on his own.

"Sango?" Kohaku said, "Did I kill you?"

"Kohaku? What do you remember?" Sango was torn between her husband and her brother. Kohaku's far away look was being replaced by one of horror as he started to remember everything that had happened to him since Naraku had killed and animated him. Kohaku started to cry and Rin tried to go to him.

"We must leave Rin. They will take care of him." Sesshoumaru took the Tetsusaiga from the girl and savored the feel of it in his hand. He badly wanted to try it out, but he wasn't going to give it a shot in front of his brother. Until he knew how to use it properly he would bide his time before destroying InuYasha. Jakken and Rin followed him as he walked away, leaving a sad and pitiful group behind.


	5. Chapter 5

InuYasha stared after his sword walking away with his brother. He wanted to hold Kagome in his arms, to remind himself why he'd given the sword up, but she was busy tending to Miroku who was now drifting in and out of consciousness. Sango was holding Kohaku as he cried and said no over and over again. Kirara was keeping watch over the group, her tails drooping. As Sango surveyed her companions she felt something in her chest tighten.

Her husband, cursed for so long with a wind tunnel that threatened to swallow him up whenever he used it in defense of his friends, was now missing that arm. And if he survived the terrible injury, would he ever be the same?

InuYasha, who had suffered so much loss in his life had gotten a second chance with Kagome, but in the process had given up the one thing his father had left for him. That was something Kagome was going to have to live with, to save her InuYasha had given up his sword and almost his arm. And Miroku _had_ given up his arm, and possibly his life.

And now that Kohaku's memories were returning who knew what horrors he would have to endure? He had killed their entire village, he had nearly killed _her_. And while he was under Naraku's control, he did things Sango could only imagine. The tightness was moving from her chest to her throat and she found it hard to breathe.

Kirara nuzzled her and the dam broke. The ferocity of her tears startled Sango and her sobs joined Kohaku's in a verbal tribute to the journey the group had taken over the last years.


	6. Epilogue

Several months later:

Sesshoumaru absently scratched at his left palm, the itching had started about a month after he had obtained his new arm. He had pretty much gotten used to it by now. His fingernail snagged and he glanced down at his hand, expecting to see a callous from practicing with the Tetsusaiga. "What on earth?" He murmured to himself as he brought his hand up close to his face. He felt a breeze on his cheek though the night air was still and stared in wonder at the tiny black dot in the middle of his palm…


End file.
